"Earth's preparatory school must be improved to the utmost," writes Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 486). What an interesting way to contemplate human existence—a preparatory school! It is so entirely different from the usual way of looking at it. For is not human existence to many often but an enigmatical period of time, filled up by a mass of sorrow and suffering, unrelieved to any great extent by that joyousness, that happiness which, whether they may define it to themselves or not, is what humanity sighs for and desires? The name "preparatory school" may seem to indicate a future state; but as Christian Science points out, the only future state which any one should desire to enter is the realization and demonstration of the real man, the perfect spiritual idea of God.
In considering the question of "earth's preparatory school," two things should be kept clearly before us. First, the great spiritual fact that man is the image of God; and that since God is perfect Mind, and man is the image or reflection of perfect Mind, man is already perfect. Secondly, that mankind is not the image or reflection of perfect Mind, but an imperfect, and, therefore, unreal concept. Remembering these truths, one is in the position of being able to wisely survey the human situation. The human race has, throughout untold generations, labored with its problems; bit by bit the truth about God and man has been revealed to it, until that truth has never been more clearly understood than now; and never have men been in a better position to apply it to all the problems of human existence, than since Christian Science was given to the world.
Briefly, then, human existence may be said to be a preparatory school to men, since they are striving to emancipate themselves from the false, the sinful, the diseased conditions which beset human existence. And it is interesting in this connection to study the lives of some of the worthy, those who have been obedient to their highest understanding of good, and, accordingly, have nobly served their fellow-men. If one takes the case of Moses, for example, it is found that up to the time he led forth the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt his whole life was a long preparation for that stupendous task. Born of Hebrew parents, to escape the dire mandate of Pharaoh,—"Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river,"—the infant Moses was placed in an "ark of bulrushes" and laid "in the flags by the river's brink." All are familiar with his rescue, and how he was afterward reared at the court of Pharaoh, as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Unquestionably, while there he would be instructed in the learning of the age, acquiring a knowledge of government and an insight into political and social motives. Then "it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens;" and in his wrath at the tyranny of the Egyptians he slew one of them, "and hid him in the sand." The sequel was his flight "from the face of Pharaoh" into the land of Midian, where he "kept the flock of Jethro." After many quiet years of meditation, he was humble enough to be led by God back to Egypt, along with Aaron his brother, to bring about the delivery of the Hebrews. What a schooling Moses had during those forty years! And all those years of preparation were necessary to equip him for the task he had to perform. Even after the people were delivered out of Pharaoh's hand, other forty years had to be spent in the wilderness before the land of Canaan was reached. And during the whole of this time Moses was being disciplined; all these fourscore years he was being led into a fuller, richer knowledge of God, and to a truer understanding of his real, spiritual selfhood.
Christ Jesus had also to pass through "earth's preparatory school." There were the years of quiet meditation and preparation in the peaceful home at Nazareth, with that wonderful episode at the age of twelve when he debated with the learned doctors in the temple,—showing forth what was to follow in his maturer years. Then, after thirty years, came the forty days' temptation in the wilderness, when he resisted and overcame all the suggestions of evil which presented themselves, and proved himself equal to the task of going into the world to teach mankind the truth about God and man, and to demonstrate his teaching by healing all manner of sin and disease. And did not the experience of his last three years on earth of glorious spiritual activity equip him for the overthrow of the belief of death, and for his final and complete triumph over the illusion of matter at the ascension? Every experience he passed through was requisite. "Earth's preparatory school" was as necessary for Jesus as it had been for Moses, and as it is for every other human being. Jesus had to practice the truth he knew, day by day, hour by hour, in order to gain that marvelous spiritualized consciousness which ultimately freed him from every belief of matter.
There can be no question but that the trials of life force mankind to forsake matter, with its false pleasures and pains, for the joys and peace of God. In innumerable cases sickness has compelled men to humble themselves before God, even, to begin with, if but to crave Him to tell them the meaning of suffering. Many a time in these latter days those who have been healed through Christian Science—and who is able to number them now?—have said in very truth that suffering was their schoolmaster leading them to Christ, the healing Truth. In "Rudimental Divine Science" (p. 11) Mrs. Eddy writes: "Sickness is the schoolmaster, leading you to Christ; first to faith in Christ; next to belief in Gcd as omnipotent; and finally to the understanding of God and man in Christian Science, whereby you learn that God is good, and in Science man is His likeness, the forever reflection of goodness." How true are our Leader's words! But for sickness, but for suffering, how many would still be out in the darkness of mortal mind, away from the light and warmth of divine Love? Often and often it is only after some one has found himself, to human sense, in the last extremity that he has turned to God, as He is understood in Christian Science, to learn that disease, sin,—all evil,—is unreal, and been healed.
There are no exceptions in "earth's preparatory school." Mrs. Eddy had a similar experience to that of every other person. In "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 30) she has written: "St. Paul declared that the law was the schoolmaster, to bring him to Christ. Even so was I led into the mazes of divine metaphysics through the gospel of suffering, the providence of God, and the cross of Christ." But while this is so, let no one think for a moment that "earth's preparatory school" is joyless. It should be a happy school, joyous as when the children play, happy as when the tender and pure greet each other. Its aim is to enable men to demonstrate what the Master held before them as the ideal, what Christian Science holds before them as the ideal,—the perfection of man, made in the image and likeness of God.
